The Berkeley Law and Organizing Collective (BLOC) is part of a new generation of movement lawyers who believe that a just society requires the mass participation of ordinary people. An attorney’s role is to strategically advise movements of organized people as they navigate and shape the legal playing field. To understand how collective power is built, BLOC members organize first-hand alongside those in the social movements they are supporting.
BLOC specifically focuses on the labor movement: the movement of millions of working people who democratically formed unions, went on strike, and won the weekend, the 40-hour work week, and the minimum wage. Today, even amid unchecked corporate power and historic wealth inequality, workers are continuing to organize and win big. BLOC gives members a hands-on way to learn about social change through organized labor.
BLOC members’ work will involve a mix of union organizing, contract enforcement, research, and worker training. BLOC prides itself on offering students educational opportunities to holistically engage with the nexus between law, organizing, and power.
This year, BLOC members will conduct legal research for, provide administrative support to, and organize with the 60,000 members of UAW Local 4811, the largest academic workers’ union in the country. In Spring 2026, UAW 4811 workers across California won 12-45% raises, created a $400,000 legal consultation fund for international workers, guaranteed employer non-collaboration with ICE, and secured long-fought protections at work. This Fall, UAW members are focused on enforcing their hard-won protections, passing a measure to infuse billions of dollars into higher education and research, and growing membership and engagement to maintain their collective power. In addition, BLOC members will assist with legal research for other pro-worker organizations.
Supervision: Students engaged in BLOC’s efforts will be supervised by a local labor law attorney.
Time Commitment: BLOC aims to take a “low-floor; high-ceiling” approach to its time commitment to allow students with great passion for worker justice to contribute and learn as much as they have capacity for, while recognizing that other members may have less time to allocate to BLOC.
BLOC anticipates approximately 12 required hours per semester – half of which are biweekly lunch meetings and the other half legal/organizing work. Students will have the opportunity to engage in additional research, administrative support, or organizing as they have capacity and desire to do so. All dates for required activities will be determined in the Fall based on member availability.
For more information, please contact the student leaders at ProBonoBLOC@berkeley.edu.